Kirtland Tax Center seeks volunteers

Kirtland Tax Center volunteer Dan Dolan helps a customer prepare an income tax return several years ago. The Kirtland AFB Tax Center will open Feb. 1 to provide free tax-filing services to eligible customers (E-6s and below, O-3s and below, and retirees with gross income of $60,000 and below.) Volunteers to staff the center are needed. (File photo by Todd Berenger)

Base tax center seeking volunteers

Published Jan. 11, 2016
By Kirtland Public Affairs

KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- Providing a place for service members to get help in filing taxes is a major base initiative, but it cannot operate without the help of volunteers.

The Kirtland Income Tax Center, which provides a variety of tax services to eligible service members, is run entirely by volunteers -- and the more volunteers available, the more returns that can be prepared. Last tax season, volunteers prepared 1,356 federal and state tax returns, saving clients about $136,000 in preparation and filing fees.

"Without continued support from volunteers, this important service cannot survive," said Capt. Marvin Sapp of the Legal Office.

Sapp said volunteers can be military, dependents, military retirees or DOD civilian employees.

Volunteers get four days of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance training. Training for volunteers begins Jan. 19 at the Distance Learning Center in the 377th Air Base Wing Headquarters Building. Those who can't make the class can train on their own via an IRS training packet available at the Legal Office. Volunteers should plan to spend at least 40 hours in the tax center.

Volunteer administrators are needed as well.

"Administrators fill the vital role of receiving clients, checking CAC cards, collecting information and calling clients if more information is needed to prepare returns," Sapp said.

Volunteer administrators may volunteer for as few as two hours a day.

The tax center will open Feb. 1 and will be open Tuesdays through Fridays from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information about the tax center or to volunteer, contact Sapp at 505-846-2934 or marvin.sapp.1@us.af.mil.